(Above image from www.pixgood.com)

Church leaders were in the right place at the right time to respond to the immediate crisis of a devastating cholera outbreak recently in Papua New Guinea. Elder Dirk Smibert and a small group of Papuan Church leaders arrived in Daru by dingy in the late afternoon of Nov. 11. Early the next morning they were advised that 11 members from one LDS branch had just died from a deadly cholera outbreak — an acute intestinal infection that leads to severe dehydration and death without treatment, spread through contaminated water and food.

On August 19, 2014, Elder David A. Bednar called on members of the Church to get busy using Social Media in positive ways. More specifically he challenged:

A mother whose family has been blessed by the Prophet, then an Apostle, invites all and particularly her children to come listen to his voice.

The first question Kristen Coltrin asks as she talks about suicide prevention with Church lay leaders is: What would you do if someone came to you with a crushed bone?

Editor's note: "This week from the pulpit" highlights recent messages by General Authorities and General Officers of the Church.

MR says: We know that the Bible can provide us with answers to any question in our life. But what does this sacred work have to say about fantasy football and gambling?

“I promise these blessings and express my love for you,” President Nelson said at the end of a video shared as part of Sunday's devotional.

It’s the telephone call Julia and John Fellows have waited for since May: The call home from their 19-year-old son, Kent, who is serving a two-year mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I may or may not have announced on Facebook a couple of weeks ago: “If you post pictures of your Elf on the Shelf I will unfriend you for the month of December.” Partly to be funny, but partly out of spite I felt I needed to issue my warning. Some people like this “tradition” (Nobody was doing it five years ago so it’s not really that much of a tradition), but some people really despise it (me!). There are so many reasons I hate it: using weird bribery to get kids to behave, furthering the “I Believe” cult of people bearing their testimonies of Santa, and it does have such a creepy little face. Mostly, though, I hate this Elf on the Shelf thing because it symbolizes all the crazy stuff we do to ourselves during the holiday season. Somehow Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day have come together to create a completely bizarre tradition: an Elf that gets into crazy mischief every single night. As if buying presents, giving neighbor gifts, attending concerts and/or parties, making travel arrangements, decorating our houses, doing one or more advent calendars, and baking at least a few more times than we usually do isn’t enough. Now we have this Elf to worry about, too.